Homemade Maple Breakfast Sausage
Published 11/14/2021
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Make your own breakfast sausage with this finger-lickin’ good Maple Breakfast Sausage recipe. Ours is made with ground pork and turkey, an easy breakfast sausage seasoning, and of course, maple syrup.
Perfect Breakfast Sausage
I don’t know about you, but if I had a choice between bacon or sausage at breakfast, I’d choose sausage every time.
Sausage goes perfectly with sweet breakfasts such as banana pancakes and savory breakfasts such as egg bites. This recipe would even be the perfect addition to our Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches.
We’re taking homemade breakfast sausage to the next level by using an amazing breakfast sausage seasoning and maple syrup. The sweet and savory combo is pretty fantastic.
What does this maple breakfast sausage taste like?
This recipe is the definition of sweet and savory. You get an amazing savory flavor from the different spices used such as fennel, garlic, and sage, but then the maple syrup adds the perfect hint of sweetness.
Recipe highlights
- High-protein
- Naturally gluten-free
- Baked or pan-fried
- Low-carb
- Freezer-friendly
What meat should you use for breakfast sausage?
Breakfast sausage is typically made from ground pork, however, we like to use a combination of ground pork and ground turkey.
You’re also more than welcome to use other meats such as ground chicken or beef. Just make sure that your meat combination has some fat in it so that it cooks properly.
Breakfast Sausage Seasoning
Every great breakfast sausage recipe has an incredible breakfast sausage seasoning! Spices add so much to your sausage patties and our seasoning does just the trick.
- Dried thyme
- Dried sage
- Garlic powder
- Fennel seeds
- Red pepper flakes
- Smoked paprika
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Pepper
Since this is a maple breakfast sausage recipe, this seasoning pairs really great with something sweet. You can, however, leave out the maple and get a more savory flavor instead.
Our Secret Ingredient – Maple Syrup
I’m sure you’re thinking, maple syrup, really?
The answer is YES.
Have you ever had a big stack of pancakes with breakfast sausage on the side? There is nothing better than soaking up all of that extra maple syrup with your breakfast sausage patty to get that sweet and salty combination.
So, don’t skip the maple syrup. It adds so much to this recipe!
How to Make Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties
There are multiple ways to make breakfast sausage patties and today we’re sharing the two easiest ways to do so.
Mix Breakfast Sausage Ingredients
Combine ground turkey and ground pork along with all of the spices and maple syrup in a large bowl. Use your hands (yes hands) to mix everything together.
Make Breakfast Sausage Patties
Using a 1/4 cup as your scoop, make the breakfast sausage patties. We find it’s easiest if you wet your hands a little bit so it doesn’t stick.
Form a very thin patty, trying to get it as thin as a penny. Repeat until you’ve made around 10-12 patties.
Cook
Pan-Fried
Cook patties over medium-high heat for around 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. We like to pan-fry them in a little olive oil, but if you’re using a fattier meat, then you might not even need oil.
Oven
Cook breakfast sausage at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Using a meat thermometer?
If you’re using a meat thermometer, make sure that the internal temperature is at least 165ºF so that it’s a safe temperature to consume poultry.
Top Tips for Making Breakfast Sausage
Use a meat combo
We have found that using a combination of ground meat makes for the best breakfast sausage. We suggest using a meat that’s higher in fat (like pork) and one that’s lower in fat (like turkey).
Make your patties thin
I repeat, make your patties thin! These breakfast patties are just like burgers. When they’re cooked they shrink towards the middle and get thicker! So, make them thinner than you think.
Pan-fry over baked
While we’re giving you options on how to cook these patties on the stovetop and how to bake them, we prefer pan-fried. They get more of a golden-brown crust and have an amazing texture.
Can I use a different meat type?
If you’re hoping to switch up the meat, we recommend using either all ground pork or at least half ground pork. Feel free to swap the other half for:
- ground chicken
- ground beef
- Italian sausage
Breakfast Pairings
Complete your breakfast spread with of our most popular breakfast recipes!
Storage
Got leftover breakfast sausage? Simply transfer it into an airtight container or wrap it in a piece of tin foil and store it in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
Can you freeze homemade breakfast sausage?
Looking to meal prep an easy breakfast for later? This breakfast sausage recipe is perfect for freezing. Here’s the rundown:
- Let the sausages cool completely before freezing them.
- Place a sausage on a small piece of parchment paper and then place another small piece of parchment paper on top of that sausage. Repeat creating a sausage and parchment paper tower.
- Place that tower into a freezer safe bag. You may need to make 2 towers depending on the size of the plastic bag.
- Place the sausage in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months.
Homemade Breakfast Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1.5 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, if cooking on stove top
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place all of the ingredients for the pork sausage in a large bowl (except for the olive oil).
- Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.
- Wet your hands and create the sausage patties. Use a ¼ cup scoop to scoop the mixture in a heaping scoop and make the meat into a ball.
- Carefully create a patty with the meat into a very thin patty that is about the thickness of a penny. This is important because the meat will puff up as it cooks, so the thinner the better. Place the patty on the lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the patties have been formed.
Stove Top
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium/high heat and add olive oil.
- When the olive oil is fragrant, add 2 patties to the skillet and cook the patties for 2-3 minutes on each side and until golden brown and cooked through.
- Repeat steps 1-2 until all the patties are cooked.
- Enjoy or freeze for later.
Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Place the sausage in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes flipping the patties halfway through the bake time.
- Remove the patties from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes before serving or freeze for later.
Tips & Notes
- If you’re using a meat thermometer, make sure the centers get to 165ºF, which is the safe haven for poultry.
Freezing Instructions
- Let the sausages cool completely before freezing them.
- Place a sausage on a small piece of parchment paper and then place another small piece of parchment paper on top of that sausage. Repeat creating a sausage and parchment paper tower.
- Place that tower into a freezer safe bag. You may need to make 2 towers depending on the size of the plastic bag.
- Place the sausage in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
I’ve used a different breakfast sausage recipe for years but it calls for rosemary and I was out, so I looked to see what you guys had and found this gem! I used about half the maple syrup, a tad less fennel than called for (I don’t love fennel), and used all ground chicken, and the flavor came out beautifully. Going to have to add this one into the rotation!
These patties were SO good! I made a full batch and froze most of them. I put them on some English muffins with egg for breakfast sandwiches in the morning, the maple syrup gave them the best flavor!
So glad you love them!!
Love love the recipe! Really is the perfect combo of savory, sweet, and a little spicy. It’s the perfect addition to my morning crunch wrap. Thanks ladies for such a delish recipe!
So glad you loved this!! It’s my favorite way to cook breakfast sausage.
What can be used instead of ground pork?
Hi Wynette — You can definitely use other meats such as ground chicken, turkey or beef. Just make sure that your meat combination has some fat in it so that it’s not too lean to be juicy!
These are some of the best sausages I’ve had. Will be batch making these and freezing. Highly recommend
I agree with you 100%!